Buy Target Items Immediately by Snapping a Photo

Thumbing through a catalog old-school style is still the best way to soak up shopping inspiration when you're away from home. But then there's that one thing that you have to have right now, and that's where your phone comes in handy. Target is testing a new image recognition app called In a Snap, which is available for iOS (free) today and Android in the very near future.

The new app turns your phone's camera into a powerful search tool. Gone are the days of having to remember a complicated SKU number! Just snap a photo of Targets ads in magazines or a product in a Target catalog — and it'll immediately identify what it is then automatically add the item to your shopping cart.

Even if the photo is cluttered with other objects, like in this actual Target poster below, In a Snap's visual recognition technology can decipher the exact item. Download the app and give it a try.

Of course, this isn't the first evidence that technology is making it dangerously easy to shop online. An upcoming gadget called Dash for Amazon Fresh can scan the barcode of everyday household items, like groceries, and add it to your Amazon shopping cart for same-day delivery. The new Amazon phone has a similar feature called Firefly built-in, which can identify essentially every type of item from just a smartphone photo and, of course, offers you the option to buy on Amazon.

Gird your wallets! Online shopping is now faster and easier — maybe too much so? Source: Target